Rack fob publications



Mai-ch 2'7, 195E H. K. ASHLEY 2,546,419

- RACK FOR PUBLICATIONS Filed Jan. 18, 1946 I, l .1 mm": 7

. INVENTOR 4. F HARRY K. fis/ILEY ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RACK FOR PUBLICATIONS Harry K. Ashley, San Leandro, Calif. Application January 18, 1946, Serial No. 642,012

5 Claims. 1

The invention relates to a rack or holder for assemblies of such publications as cards, sheets, pamphlets, booklets, etc., for selective viewing thereof while mounted on the rack.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved rack which is arranged to mount singlesheet or multi-sheet publications of various sheet sizes-and/or of various thicknesses.

Another object is to provide a rack which permits an individual placement or removal of a publication with respect to the holder.

A further object is to provide a publications rack in which the backs of an assembly of publications mounted thereon may be firmly held together independently of the number of such publications.

An added object is to provide a publications rack of the type described which disposes the mounted publications in a particularly advantageous sloping position for reference thereto.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of a typical embodiment thereof and in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a publications rack embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken at the line 2--2 in Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view at the line "3--3 in Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary and perspective sectional view taken at the line 4'4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken at the line 5-5 in Fig. 2.

In the present structure a flat rectangular plate member I'of a relatively rigid sheet material is carried on-and between front and rear members 8 and 9 which cooperatively provide a support base for .the assembly to dispose the member 7 at a convenient angle to an underlying support surface, the members '8 and 9 being somewhat narrower than the member I and being centered with respect to its side edges. has downturned flanges l9 and I Eat its front and rear edges respectively, and the members 8 and a are secured to the member 1 at its respective flanges, as by bolts I2. Mutually inturned and coplanar integral foot flanges 13 and I4 are pro- 4 vided at and along the bottom edges of the members B and 9 respectively for cooperatively providing the support base for the assembly. The top face 15 of the member 1 is arranged to supportinglyreceive a plurality of publications to r The member '6 be selectively opened and read, particular uses of the present rack being the selective support of such publications as catalogs, booklets. circu lloars and the like in secured relation to the mem- Rods [6 are provided for insertion through and at the backs of bound publications for use in holding the publications in place on the present rack. In the case of a single sheet to be mounted on the rack, a rod It may be threaded through the inner edge of the sheet through a succession of holes previously provided or through holes which have been made by the rod by reason of its insertion; the rods may be similarly applied to unbound publications. Rods I6 so engaged with individual publications are arranged to extend longitudinally from the top and bottom ends of the publications and have their extending portions releasably secured for holding the engaged publication portions generally against the member I, while permitting a lateral adjustment of the publications along the member.

As particularly illustrated, an upper portion of the front member 8 of the assembly extends somewhat above the top face It of the plate I and has an inturned portion I! extending parallel to said face and having a downturned flange l8 depending from its inner edge, the portion i l and flange 18 being particularly shown as integral parts of the member 8. The upper portion of the rear member 9 also extends above the member "I, and is provided with an inturned top portion l9 and a depending flange 29 which respectively correspond to the top portion l1 and flange l8 of the member 8. The free edges I8 and 20 of the flanges la and 29 respectively are straight and extend in parallel relation to the face I 5 at such a distance from the latter that they may receive the free extremities of publications-carried rods 56 beneath them. It is to be understood that the portions of the members 3 and 9 above the top face l5 of the support plate I comprise'upstanding return-bend extensions of the plate and may be so referred to.

It will now be noted that the length of the rods I5 is such that a rod may have its end portions simultaneously disposed beneath the free edges t3 and 29 of the flanges I8 and 29 with their extremities so close to the outer sides of the return bends when the rod is substantially perpendicular to the latter, that the rod, and its en'- gaged publications, are restrained against removal transversely of the plate while adjustably slidable beneath the straight flange edges. The

3 rods l6 are relatively stifl and may be resiliently flexible.

Means are provided for securing an assembly of publications provided with securing rods H in a closely bunched relation at their back edges, whereby the assembly may be engaged by the rack for opening as a bound volume to any page to be viewed. As particularly shown, the aforesaid securing means is operative against the opposite sides of an assembly of mounted publications, and generally comprises a pair of similar clamp bar members 22 and 23 mounted on the base plate 1 and arranged to be releasably and independently fixed to the plate in operative positions thereof.

The present clamp members 22 and 23 comprise elements of channel cross-section and V of less length than the distance between the return bends of the members 8 and 9, said members having their channels inverted over the base plate 1 and receiving bolts 24 through transverse holes in their webs centrally thereof. The head 25 of each bolt 24 is shown as engaging the upper face of its clamp member, while the bolt shank extends from the member and through a slot 25 provided through the plate I longitudinally and centrally thereof, chiefly in the plate portion between the members 8 and S; the present slot 25 has aligned portions connected by an imperforate plate part, whereby to avoid an undue weakening of the plate at the slot. The bolts 24' mount wing nuts 26' beneath the plate 2 whereby a tightening up of a wing nut on a bolt through a slot 25 may clamp the associated member 22 or 23 to the plate thereat, while disposing the nuts out of the way.

Havin one or more publications mounting rods IS with their different ends disposed beneath the free edges l8 and 26' of the depending flanges l8 and 20, one or both of the clamp bars 22 and 23 may be free for lateral and swinging adjustments whereby the bars may be brought into cooperative clamping relation with and along the publication, or publications, for fixedly position- 4 flanges l8 and when the clamp member is operatively disposed. In this manner, spare rods may be stored on the rack for future use, yet may be readily removed by sufficiently swinging the clamp member which receives them for freeing at least one rod end from beneath an edge l8 or 20 to permit a longitudinal withdrawal of the rod from within the member. It is also to be noted that the intermediate pivoting of the members 22 and 23 on the bolts 24 when the nuts 26 are loosened not only provides for a release or replacement of a publication from the rack and/or the placement or removal of a rod It with respect to the storage space provided by a clamp bar, but

also permits a fitted line engagement of a member against the side of an assembly of publications mounted on the rack. When an assembly of publications is' of less transverse thickness than the ing it, or them, on the plate, after which loosened nuts 26 may be tightened to maintain the functioning of the clamp bars. When a publication of a mounted assembly is to be removed, it is merely necessary to release a bar 22 or 23, and move it laterally away from the assembly until the publication to be removed may be swung into such oblique relation to its original position as to free one end of the associated rod it from beneath a flange 18 or 23 of the member 8 or 9 to permit the lifting of that publication from the base plate and out of the assembly. If a publication .is to be inserted intermediately in an assembly already mounted on the present rack, a clarnpbar 22 or 23 is released and displaced as for the removal of a publication at that side of the place of intended insertion of the publication i n the assembly which corresponds to the displaced clamp member. An appropriate oblique disposal of the publications between said place and the displaced clamp member may permit the desired insertion of a publication in the assembly. When a publication has been removed or inserted, the publications of the assembly may be restored to' their mutually parallel engaged relation in which they are bound between the members 22 aiid"-23.-

'Itis to be noted that rods I6 not being used may be disposed in and through the channel space of a clamp bar 22 or 23 for storing them, it being understood that the ends of rods so stored in a clamp member'w'ill be disposed beneath the capacity of the rack as determined by the length of the return-bend portions of the rack members 8 and 9, or the efiective length of the slot 25, the assembly may be variably disposed with respect to the side edges of the plate I; Fig. 3 indicates the disposition of a publications assembly toward the right side of the plate.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and use of the present rack for publications will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains. While I have described the features and principles of use of a rack which I now consider to comprise a preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire to have it understood that the disclosure is primarily illustrative, and that such changes and developments may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope 0 the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a rack for publications, a support plate, mutually parallel return-bend members upstanding from opposite plate edges and providing free edges facing the top plate face in parallel spaced relation thereto, rods for mounting within publications along and adjacent the backs thereof and of a length to have their opposite ends simultaneously extended beneath said free edges of said members while engaged in the publications and when they are substantially perpendicular to the members, clamp bars engageable with and against opposite sides of a bunched assembly of publications mounted on the support plate, means securing the clamp bars on the plate for their release for translatory and swinging adjustments with respectto an assembly of rod-carrying publications on the plate, and cooperative means between the bars and plate for securing the bars in fixed positions on the plate for binding the assembly of publications between their mutually opposed Sides Y I. 2. .Ina-rack-for publications, a support-plate, mutually parallel members upstanding from-op:- posite plate edges'and providing faces in parallel spaced opposition to the top plate face, rods for mounting within publications along and adjacent the backs thereof and of a length to have their opposite ends simultaneously extended beneath said faces of the members while engaged in the publicationsand substantially perpendicular to the -members, clamp bars engageable with "and against opposite sides of a bunched assembly of publications mounted on the support plate, means securing the clamp bars on the plate for their release for translatory and swinging adjustments with respect to an assembly of rod carrying'pub lications on the plate, and cooperative means between the bars and plate for securing the bars in fixed positions on the plate for binding the assembly of publications between the mutually opposed sides of the bars.

3. A structure in accordance with claim 2 whereof the plate is provided with a slot intermediately of and parallel to said free edges, and said clamp bar securing means comprises a bolt extending through the bar and said plate slot and mounting a nut for use to releasably clamp the bar to the plate in adjusted position thereon.

4, A structure in accordance with claim 2 whereof a clamp bar is of channel section and has its open side at the plate whereby to provide a space therein for receiving unapplied said rods against escape therefrom while the bar is operatively related to the assembly of publications.

5. In a rack for publications, a support plate, mutually parallel members upstanding from opposite plate edges and providing faces in parallel spaced opposition to the top plate face, a rod mounted in a publication adjacent and along the back thereof with its ends simultaneously extended beneath said faces of the members while it is substantially perpendicular to th members,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 907,239 Hufeland Dec. 22, 1908 947,654 Springall Jan. 25, 1910 1,459,334 Kelleher June 19, 1923 1,687,434 Federbush Oct. 9, 1928 2,091,619 Wedge et a1 Aug. 31, 1937 2,095,053 Buchan Oct. 5, 1937 2,232,635 Rogers Feb. 18, 1941 

